Ankur Bordoloi wins Marie Curie Individual Fellowship with his research ORION
The European Commission is awarding €257 million to 1,235 postdoctoral researchers to work at top universities, research centres, private and public organisations and small and medium-sized enterprises. The European Research Agency (REA) received 7,044 applications for this call, of which 17.5% were selected for funding. Ankur Bordoloi is one of them:
HydrOdynamics & biomechanics of canceR cell mIgration in heterOgeNeous media (ORION)
What is your research about?
"Metastasis is one of the most challenging attributes of cancer, accounting for a staggering 90% of cancer-related deaths. It is a complex multistep process by which cancer cells detach from a primary tumor and enter into the bloodstream, then migrate through the vascular system as single or cluster of cells, known as circulating tumor cells (CTC), and finally colonize a secondary organ. Although a primary tumor cell releases up to 3-4 million cells/gram every day, fewer than only 0.01% manage metastasize. Despite a significant progress made in the cancer biology, what makes these few cells to cause metastasis bypassing the complex vascular network remains unknown.
In this research, I will collaborate with my primary host institute (Pouyan Boukany, Chemical Engineering, TU Delft) and secondary support institute (Amin Doostmohammadi, Neils Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen) to study the migration of cancer cells in a model in-vitro system mimicking the vascular network. This research will bring together interdisciplinary action including fluid mechanics, biomechanics of cellular interactions, various biochemical reactions and the state-of-the-art microfluidic technology. The outcome of this research will enhance our understanding of the complex metastasis process, and help improving future prevention measures."
Why did your research receive this grant?
"This proposal integrates my previous experience in fluid mechanics in microsystems and the expertise of the host supervisor (Pouyan Boukany) in cancer related research to tackle some important fundamental aspects of the complex cancer metastasis process. The project is ambitious, innovative, it is highly interdisciplinary and it has significant potential for two-way transfer of knowledge among the participating parties. Besides, the subject matter of this research is of utmost importance for the human health. I scored a total of 98.8% in my evaluation."
What does receiving the grant mean for your research?
"It means a lot for me to receive this grant at this stage of my career. It gives me the opportunity to show my ability to conduct independent research, develop collaboration with many interdisciplinary experts including researchers at medical institutes such as Erasmus MC and Leiden University Medical Center. I am confident that at the end of this research I will come up with significant relevant experiences to secure a faculty position in one of the leading research institutions in the Netherlands."
Dr. Ankur Bordoloi
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